1 A2 informal
To telephone someone.
"Why don't you just phone up the hotel and ask them directly?"
separable
phone up
A2 informal separable transitive
To telephone someone.
In plain English
To call someone on the phone.
What does "phone up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Usage tip
A very common informal British English phrasal verb. 'Phone up' is virtually synonymous with 'call' or 'ring', but the addition of 'up' is idiomatic and adds a sense of reaching out to someone. More common in speech than in formal writing. American English speakers are more likely to say 'call someone'.
Words that pair with "phone up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
friend company office doctor boss customer
How to conjugate "phone up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
phone up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
phones up
he/she/it
Past simple
phoned up
yesterday
Past participle
phoned up
have + pp
-ing form
phoning up
continuous
Hear "phone up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "phone up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "phone up"
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